Against the Tide of Years

The first volume of the trilogy took us up to the beginning of year 3 A.E. (After the Event), but we last saw William Walker in year 2. This second volume takes up Walker's story from year 2, when he escaped from England and went by sea to Greece, stopping briefly in Spain to help his ally Isketerol usurp the Kingdom of Tartessos.

Years 3 to 7 are relatively uneventful in Nantucket, so the Nantucket story skips ahead to year 8. However, rather than giving us chapters of pure Walker, Stirling chooses to give us bits of the Nantucket story (year 8 onwards) interleaved with flashbacks of the Walker story (year 2 onwards). This is feasible because the two are geographically separate and independent.

We see that the action now spreads out over a wider geographical area, while all sides (Nantucket, Tartessos, and Greece) are making rapid progress in technology and industry.

The first seven chapters of this book show Walker's progress in gaining power in Greece, alongside Nantucket's preparations to take action against him.

In Spain, it's nice to see Isketerol changing from a merchant/adventurer/pirate into a good king for his people. Being a man of his time, he remains somewhat ruthless; and he feels honour-bound to maintain his alliance with the unpleasant Walker, despite his aversion to Walker's even nastier wife Alice, the Lady of Pain.

In Chapter 8, year 9 AE, Nantucket makes contact and alliance with the King of Kar-Duniash and Babylon; I enjoy this encounter, although it's implausible that they would have got along that well with each other.

Further events: Marian Alston and her fleet run into a bad storm on the way home, and stop in South Africa for makeshift repairs (Chapters 10-12). The Nantucket expeditionary force helps the King of Babylon to defeat and conquer the Assyrians (Chapters 13-16). Alston and crew, still ashore in South Africa, defeat and capture two aggressive Tartessian ships (Chapters 14-18). Kenneth Hollard rescues Raupasha (Chapter 15). Walker contacts and allies with the Ringapi (Chapter 18). King Agamemnon kills himself and Walker becomes King of Greece (Chapter 20). Smallpox breaks out in Babylon (Chapter 21). A Tartessian invasion of Nantucket is defeated, while McAndrews arrives in Egypt (Chapter 22). Babylon revolts and King Shuriash dies; Kashtiliash takes over; Nantucket contacts and allies with the King of Hatti (Chapter 24). Kashtiliash marries Kathryn Hollard and Nantucket contacts Troy (Chapter 25). Nantucket assembles a fleet to attack Tartessos (Epilogue).